"Uncle Slevin?"
As Elspeth sensed that Damian was about to continue with his analysis, she simply tapped his forehead and said, "Enough, go to sleep."
He obediently fell silent. Still, before he retreated to his room, he blinked his eyes, and asked, "So, does that mean I don't have to go to kindergarten tomorrow?"
"Well, should I go in your place?" She put on a fake smile and raised her hand, pretending to smack his head playfully. Immediately, he tucked his head and scurried back into the room.
After she had persuaded her son to go to sleep, she glanced at her phone and noticed a message from Slevin.
'Where are you? I'm at the restaurant.'
Her mind went blank; she had apparently forgotten to inform Slevin about her return. As she pondered on how to respond, he—thinking that something had gone wrong due to the delayed response— immediately called her. She hesitated for a moment but decided to answer.
"Where are you?" The background noise on his end was chaotic, indicating that he was still at the restaurant.
"Sorry, I'm already home. I forgot to inform you," she replied apologetically.
"It's okay. As long as you're safe. In that case, I'll head home. Get some rest, goodnight."
"Goodnight."
He finally felt relieved and ended the call.
Elspeth could feel his concern for her and couldn't fathom associating him with a conniving individual. After all, how could someone who had harbored such goodwill toward her little family consistently over the past four years be such a person?
Initially, Elspeth thought that she might not have a chance to see Callum for some time. She certainly did not expect him to be that eager; he was already waiting at the door early the next morning. He was simply standing there, not bothering to knock. It was clear that he had been waiting for them for quite some time as just as she was about to take Damian to kindergarten, she opened the door and was startled to see a familiar figure sitting on the stairs at the entrance.
"What are you doing here?"
He rubbed his leg and promptly rose to his feet when he saw that she finally showed up. "I'm driving you to work."
"How do you know where I live? Are you stalking me?" She couldn't help but be wary.
He looked a bit weary and immediately denied the accusation. "No, I just have my ways of finding out information."
"Uncle Slevin?"
As Elspeth sensed that Damian was about to continue with his analysis, she simply tapped his forehead and said, "Enough, go to sleep."
Did it make any difference between the two? She was at a loss for words.
Damian, standing behind his mother, saw Callum and thought about how he had confessed their secret agreement last night. Now they were meeting again so soon, he felt guilty and couldn't bring himself to look into Callum's eyes.
Elspeth forced a polite yet slightly awkward smile. "I don't think that's necessary."
"No, it is."
"No, it's not."
"No, it is."
She then glanced at her watch and said, "It's already 7.30AM. Both Damian and I will be late if we wait any longer. Are you sure you want to keep disrupting us here?"
Callum's gaze dimmed slightly upon hearing the word 'disrupt'.
"Fine, then." He stepped aside, making way for the two of them.
She nodded in response as a gesture of gratitude. Alas, when she got into the car, she found that it wouldn't start no matter what she tried.
Damian poked his head out from the back and inquired, "Mommy, why aren't we leaving yet? We're going to be late soon."
She tried a few more times, but the car remained motionless as if it were stuck in place.
She took a deep breath, feeling utterly exasperated at the situation. So, she caught up with Callum, who hadn't gone far yet, and asked, "Um, can you do us a favor and give us a ride?"
His eyes instantly lit up, and he smiled slightly, nodding. "Sure thing, I can do that."
So, Damian and Elspeth had no choice but to get into Callum's car. He drove steadily, wholly focused on the road, and rarely engaged in small talk with her. She gazed out the window, listening to the rush of the wind, her heart filled with a mix of emotions. Somehow, she felt that the bond between her and Callum was growing stronger, and she sensed a loss of control over the situation. This strange yet familiar feeling left her feeling restless.
He tapped on the screen, and a familiar melody started playing in the car. Even though Elspeth had lost her memory, her musical preferences remained unchanged, and she immediately recognized the song she liked.
"Do you enjoy his songs too?"
"Not really, but there's someone who does, so the songs she likes are all on my USB drive." She understood that he was subtly referring to her, so she remained silent and refrained from asking further questions.
He dropped off Damian at the kindergarten first. The new teacher at the entrance didn't recognize Damian and greeted him warmly. "Hey there, kiddo! Daddy's here to drop you off, huh?"
Damian, whose head had been hanging low, suddenly perked up upon hearing that. He lifted his head proudly and nodded. "Yeah, Daddy's got some free time today, so he gave me a ride to school."
The other children had never seen such a handsome man before, and they all exclaimed in awe.
Several classmates, who were more familiar with Damian, approached curiously and bombarded him with questions, gasping, "Is that really your dad? He looks so handsome and classy!"
Preschoolers had straightforward minds. Even those who had teased Damian yesterday for not having a dad now had a complete change of attitude.
"Absolutely, my dad is the coolest!"
"I remember his mom is also gorgeous. Damian is one lucky kid!"
Elspeth and Callum, observing their son entering the school not far away, overheard the other children's comments. Elspeth's face turned slightly red; she wanted to explain, but she quickly realized that there was no way to do so.
"Damian's already inside. Let's go." Considering the circumstances, changing the subject and making a quick exit was the best choice.
Naturally, Callum noticed her embarrassment, so he mischievously took her hand and interlaced his fingers with hers. The sudden warmth of his palm caught her off guard, and she instinctively wanted to pull away.
He held on tighter, not intending to let her escape easily. "Don't move. There are people around watching. It's normal for couples to hold hands. Do you want others to think we're just pretending?"
She pondered for a moment upon hearing his words and considered the consequences when Damian was suspected of lying. Thus, she reluctantly yielded and allowed him to lead her forward. When they neared the car, she quickly let go of his hand as if she was getting rid of a hot potato. Then, she opened the car door and swiftly got inside. Regardless, he keenly sensed that her bashfulness outweighed any annoyance, and a slight smile appeared on his face.
Once they were in the car, he asked for the address of her company, and she replied, "Damin Group."
His eyes instantly darkened at her response. "Are you saying that you're now working at Slevin's company?"
For some reason, his expression made her feel a bit apprehensive.
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